Chapter Sixty-Seven: Even Donning the Dragon Robe, He Would Never Be Crown Prince!

Faced with the raucous encouragement of her best friend, Lan Ruoshuang’s heart was already wavering. Though she was on the verge of becoming engaged to Sun Chuanlong and stepping into the halls of marriage, at her core she remained a woman easily swayed by handsome faces. The sight of an attractive man would often leave her unable to move forward. And this man with his striking silhouette surely had a face to match.

Today’s shopping trip was partly to indulge in retail therapy, but also, perhaps, to seek out a fleeting romance to dispel the loneliness that had haunted her of late. After all, though others might not know, she was well aware that Sun Chuanlong, for all his family’s wealth and status, was truly lacking in certain respects.

“He does have a nice back, but I’m afraid he’s just a back-view killer. I’d hate to be disappointed,” Lan Ruoxue said anxiously.

Zheng Yiren scoffed, “Please, it’s not like we can’t just go look. If he’s not good-looking, so be it. But what if he is? I’m not missing out on a handsome guy like that. Come on, let’s check him out. If he’s as good as he looks, wouldn’t it be thrilling for the two of us to go after one man?”

With that, she half-dragged Lan Ruoshuang over to the man. At her urging, Lan Ruoshuang reached out, patted the man’s shoulder, and called out with a sultry softness, “Hey, handsome. Waiting for someone here? If not, how about we find someplace to sit and chat?”

From the masculine aura he exuded, Lan Ruoshuang’s instincts told her this man must look impressive. But just as anticipation filled her, the man turned around—and she was struck dumb, frozen in disbelief.

“Ye Wushang? Why is it you, you useless wretch?”

She could hardly believe that the man she’d just thought of seducing was this good-for-nothing. The realization left her feeling as if she’d swallowed a dead fly.

Ye Wushang, too, was taken aback by the sudden appearance of these two women. Even after his divorce from Lan Ruoxue, he had always regarded her as a little sister—at least before the incident at the workshop. But her behavior, especially her involvement with Sun Chuanlong in all those sordid affairs, had long since driven him to utter disappointment. If he could, he would rather never have met her.

“Why shouldn’t it be me? This is a public place—I can come and go as I please. It has nothing to do with you,” Ye Wushang replied coolly, glancing now and then toward the women’s boutique, wondering how his sister was getting on with her fitting.

“Ruoshuang, if I’m not mistaken, isn’t this man your sister’s ex-husband? Then why is he—?”

“Ugh!” Lan Ruoshuang spat viciously, her eyes brimming with resentment as she glared at Ye Wushang. “Ex-husband, my foot. My sister divorced him ages ago! He’s a harbinger of bad luck—anyone who gets near him is doomed.”

She looked him up and down, her tone dripping with disdain. “And you have the nerve to talk about public places? How shameless! Take a look at yourself—do you even belong here? This is a high-end mall; everything costs thousands, even tens of thousands. Can you afford any of it? Just standing here in your shabby clothes is an insult to the place!”

Ye Wushang’s face darkened. He hadn’t expected Lan Ruoshuang to be so utterly vile, in character and in words. After all, they had spent three years as family—did she have not a shred of decency left?

“Lan Ruoshuang, that’s enough,” Ye Wushang said, taking a deep breath to rein in his anger. “I don’t have time for your nonsense right now. You’d better behave yourself—or don’t blame me if I lose my patience.”

His sister was still inside trying on clothes. Soon they’d have to attend a thank-you banquet and ensure An Lan’s safety. There was enough on his plate already; the last thing he wanted was to waste time on such petty troublemakers.

“Brother, how do I look in this outfit?” At that moment, guided by the shop assistant, his sister emerged. She wore a pristine, fluffy white dress—voluminous but not bulky. The hem, cinched and curving inward, gave her a playful elegance and a touch of noble bearing, so unlike the little girl she usually was. It was just as they said: good clothes make the person. With something fine and expensive, the effect was worlds apart.

“It suits you—suits you perfectly.” Ye Wushang nodded in satisfaction, about to say more when Lan Ruoshuang suddenly snorted in derision. “Perfect? Hardly! You think wearing a dragon robe makes you a prince? Just because you put on expensive clothes doesn’t make you rich. Deep down, you’re still a pauper and you always will be. And you! How could you let her try on something like that? What if she ruins it and can’t pay?”

The frustration of not being able to marry Sun Chuanlong right away left Lan Ruoshuang seething. She had no concrete evidence, but rumor had it that Sun Chuanlong’s troubles were all linked to this wretch. Her resentment toward Ye Wushang was ingrained; she was certain he was the cause of all their misfortune. Especially with the workshop—so close to being hers, now gone—her hatred for him knew no bounds. Any chance to strike back or take revenge, she would never let slip.

“You don’t have any money?” The shop assistant, already unimpressed with Ye Wuyou, grew even more nervous at Lan Ruoshuang’s words. The dress was a limited edition worth 106,800 yuan—if it was damaged, the consequences would be dire. As she questioned them, their hesitant replies only confirmed her suspicions. Her expression darkened immediately. “If you can’t afford anything, why are you even here? Are you here just to waste my time? I’ve spent all this effort for nothing. Take off the dress right now—if you damage it, you couldn’t pay for it even if you sold yourselves!”

She stepped forward to pull at the dress. Already timid, Ye Wuyou turned crimson with embarrassment and fear as she was not only humiliated but manhandled. In her fluster, she twisted her ankle and fell to the floor with a thud.

Lan Ruoshuang doubled over with laughter. “See? If you want to wear a dress like that, you have to lean forward and keep your legs back to balance. You’ve obviously never worn something so expensive—you trip every time. Are you trying to make a fool of yourself—?”

Before she could finish, Ye Wushang struck her across the face with a resounding slap.

“You dare hit me, you useless wretch?”

“I not only dare hit you—I could kill you!” Ye Wushang glared at her with such murderous intent that it seemed he might devour her whole. That same look he’d had at the workshop—if the security guards hadn’t arrived in time, Sun Chuanlong might not have made it out alive.

The tirade froze in her throat.

Meanwhile, Ye Wushang hurried to help his sister to her feet. “Wuyou, are you all right? Are you hurt?”

“I—I’m fine,” Ye Wuyou stammered, blushing furiously. She only wanted to escape this place as quickly as possible. “Brother, please, can we just go? I don’t want to stay here…”

“Go? Not so fast!” Lan Ruoshuang, still smarting from the blow, shrieked, “No one is leaving until you give me an explanation! Ye Wushang, and you, you stupid little sister—kneel and apologize to me, or I will not let you off!”

Just then, a squad of security guards rushed over. “What’s going on? Miss Zheng, you said someone was assaulted—who was it? You’re one of the tower’s top VIPs. Just say the word and we’ll do whatever you ask!”

The guards had been summoned by Zheng Yiren. She herself was nothing special, but her boyfriend was the son of one of the building’s minority shareholders—a half-owner, so to speak. Their salaries, bonuses, and commissions all depended on him. In essence, Zheng Yiren was like a second mother to them; no one dared defy her.

“It was him! He brought his pauper sister here, tried on clothes without paying, and hit my best friend. Teach him a lesson—if you don’t handle this properly, I’ll see you all out of a job!” She walked over to Lan Ruoshuang, took her arm, and comforted her. “Don’t worry, Ruoshuang. I’ll make sure you get justice. My boyfriend Lin Dong’s father is a shareholder here—you’ve met him before. All these guards work for Lin Dong. Whatever we want, they’ll do. I’ve got your back!”

With those words, Lan Ruoshuang’s confidence soared. She glared at Ye Wushang and barked, “What are you waiting for, you wretch? Bring your stupid sister over here and apologize!”

Before Ye Wushang could reply, his sister hurried over, her voice trembling. “Brother, let’s just apologize and get it over with. Ruoshuang is sister-in-law’s sister—she must still be upset about your divorce. I get it. And besides, you did hit her; we’re in the wrong. This is their place, their guards—let’s not cause any more trouble. Please, apologize and let’s just leave.”

As agitation mounted, she began coughing violently. Though her health had improved, she still wasn’t fully recovered—any excitement could trigger a relapse.

“Don’t get worked up,” Ye Wushang soothed, supporting her. “We’re not in the wrong here—they are. I don’t care who they think they are, but no one, absolutely no one, is allowed to insult you. I promise you, I’ll see justice done. I won’t let anyone humiliate you.”